Mastering Your Wedding Invitations Timeline: Tips on When to Send, How to Address, and Finding the Ideal Venue

Choosing your wedding date is such a fun part of planning your wedding. Maybe it’s inspired by your favorite season, or a holiday you both love, or even a number that has special meaning to you (are there really that many license plates with 22s? Yes, yes there are.) Even if it’s simply a date that helps lock in your favorite venue, once you decide, it’s time to think wedding invitations. Because while your world will soon begin to orbit around that date, it’s never too soon to send out wedding invitations. Or is it?

We tapped the wedding specialists at Turning Stone for some tips on how they help couples determine when to send wedding invitations – and what common mistakes to avoid.

What is a Wedding Invitation Timeline

A wedding invitation timeline is a calendar that starts with your wedding date, then works backward to plot important dates based on the number of weeks/months needed for each milestone.

If you have confirmed your wedding date but have yet to create a timeline, this may be just the nudge you need to put this to-do into the tah-done column. If you’re working with a wedding planner or experienced wedding specialist at a full-service wedding venue like Turning Stone, be sure to work with them and take advantage of their experience. Otherwise, grab a pen or open up a calendar and let’s get started.

When to Send Out Wedding Invitations

The ideal timeline for sending out wedding invitations depends on three things: the size of your wedding, how far out you’re planning and whether or not it’s a destination wedding.

If you’re planning a large wedding or a destination wedding, or have plenty of time before the big day, consider adding a “save the date” note. Let’s assume your wedding is at least six months away. Here’s a sample timeline:

•  6 to 12 Months Out:
• Download a comprehensive Wedding Timeline so you have other important pieces in place before finalizing invitations, like securing venues, lining up an officiant and reserving hotel blocks.
  
  
•  6 Months Out:
• Finalize your guest list
• Mail "Save the Date" cards or e-vites
• If you're using a wedding website like Joy, The Knot, Zola or Riley & Grey to name a few, make sure you have that set up at least 6 months out.
  
  
•  9 to 10 Weeks Out:
• Mail Invitations and RSVP cards to any guests out-of-state or out of the country.
• While paper RSVP cards are traditional, they can also add to the cost. Many wedding websites have RSVPs.
  
  
•  8 Weeks Out (Optional):
• Traditionally this is when you can mail invitations to your local guests; however, many couples who are hosting destination weddings or expecting guests from out of town will send them sooner.
  
  
•  4 Weeks Out:
• Ask for all RSVPs to be returned no later than one month out from your wedding.
• For older relatives whom you have not heard from, reach out and give them a call. Your wedding may be one of the highlights of the season for them.

FREE WEDDING TIMELINE

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest mistake couples make is not putting a timeline in writing. Remember the rule, “If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist.” A wedding timeline is not something to keep in your head, since we all know time can go by fast.

If you’re not sure where to start, download this comprehensive Wedding Timeline from the wedding specialists at Turning Stone.

Another mistake to avoid is sending out a Save the Date notice before your wedding and reception venues are secured for not only the date you want but also the time of day. Say you’ve always dreamed of an outdoor wedding, and the Great Lawn at Turning Stone has caught your eye.

What you may not know is that there can be more than 80 weddings at Turning Stone every year – and only 52 Saturdays (though Sunday weddings are becoming more popular). A four-star resort that size of course has an expert team who can accommodate several events on the same day and will help you secure both dates and times so both can be on your invitation.

Speaking of time, it’s a good idea to request your guests be at the venue at least 30-45 minutes before the ceremony.

How to Properly Address Wedding Invitations

It’s a good idea to avoid long-outdated practices like addressing it to “Mr. and Mrs. Marc Smith,” which may be off-putting to the misses. Instead, include both names: “Mr. Marc Smith and Ms. Gail Smith.”

If you notice the shift from Mrs. to Ms., there’s a reason. While Mrs. was long considered the standard, to most women today that sounds like someone’s mother, not themselves. A good rule of thumb is to address women as Miss if single and Ms. if they are married or you are unsure.

Also, if you aren’t sure if a couple shares a last name, be sure to ask to avoid a misstep. Many women keep their name for professional reasons, especially if they marry later or have been married more than once. It’s more important to be courteous than formal, so be sure to take the time to get details like this right.

If you are inviting a couple where one of them has a professional title, typically that title goes first, for example, “Dr. Dorothy Doty and Mr. Robert Doty.”

If you are inviting a family, it’s perfectly acceptable to put “The Hanks Family” on your invitation. (Just be ready if all eight of them come!)

Formal vs Informal Wording

While wedding invitations tend to have a formality to them, if you’re not a formal couple then don’t force it. There’s no reason to address an invitation to your favorite aunt with Mrs. or Ms. in front of her name if it feels inauthentic. Aunt Augusta or Uncle Larry may bring an even bigger smile to their face when they feel your heart in your handwriting.

That said, your wedding is also a great time to dress to the nines – and let your invitations do the same. Talk to your fiancé about this, and maybe decide case-by-case.

Finding the Ideal Venue for Your Wedding at Turning Stone

Finding the perfect venue is what sets your wedding invitation timeline into motion – which is why it’s never too early to start looking at wedding and reception options. Turning Stone Resort Casino is a popular wedding destination.

As New York’s most awarded resort, Turning offers a variety of venues like the beautiful Shenendoah Clubhouse or the elegant Cypress Ballroom.

CONTACT A WEDDING SPECIALIST

Benefits of a Full-Service Wedding Venue at Turning Stone

What makes a resort like Turning Stone a great choice for your venue is also the wide variety of accommodations, dining and entertainment. With expert wedding specialists on staff, a full culinary team, pastry chefs, florists and even an in-house ice sculptor, nearly everything – and everyone – you need is under one roof.

But there are also those things you may not expect from a wedding venue that elevate the whole experience. Things like one of the country’s top spas. Or five golf courses for guests who are coming to stay for the weekend.

You can also really have fun making your rehearsal dinner uniquely your own at one of more than 20 restaurants. These range from a Gatsby-style Turquoise Tiger cocktail lounge to barn-style Tin Rooster, with its slow-smoked BBQ and rhinestone saddle disco ball over the dance floor.

Turning Stone is also experienced at Traditional Indian weddings and has the size and the expertise to make these multi-day events the highlight of the year.

The variety of venues alone makes it so much fun to plan your wedding – and you won’t be on your own, with experienced wedding specialists on staff to assist you every step of the way.

WEDDINGS AT TURNING STONE

There's No Time(line) Like the Present

With all the excitement around your wedding, pausing to put together a wedding invitation timeline is time well spent. But remember, you don’t have to figure it out alone. One call to Turning Stone puts an entire team of wedding experts into motion – yes, timeline included. 

Meet our Wedding and Event Specialists

Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life. Making that day everything you’ve dreamed of and more is both an honor and a responsibility our expert wedding staff takes seriously. But we also know it should be so much fun, which is why we put our experience to work so that you can savor every moment. Give us a call, and let’s talk about your wedding. Call 888.361.7958 or send a note to weddings@turningstone.com.

Meet Our Event Specialist